Connected: An Internet Encyclopedia
RFC 1812 - 2. INTERNET ARCHITECTURE

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### 2. INTERNET ARCHITECTURE

This chapter does not contain any requirements. However, it does contain useful background information on the general architecture of the Internet and of routers.

General background and discussion on the Internet architecture and supporting protocol suite can be found in the DDN Protocol Handbook [ARCH:1]; for background see for example [ARCH:2], [ARCH:3], and [ARCH:4]. The Internet architecture and protocols are also covered in an ever-growing number of textbooks, such as [ARCH:5] and [ARCH:6].

2.1 Introduction
2.2 Elements of the Architecture

2.2.1 Protocol Layering
2.2.2 Networks
2.2.3 Routers
2.2.4 Autonomous Systems
2.2.5 Addressing Architecture

2.2.5.1 Classical IP Addressing Architecture
2.2.5.2 Classless Inter Domain Routing (CIDR)

2.2.6 IP Multicasting
2.2.7 Unnumbered Lines and Networks Prefixes
2.2.8 Notable Oddities

2.2.8.1 Embedded Routers
2.2.8.2 Transparent Routers

2.3 Router Characteristics
2.4 Architectural Assumptions

Next: 2.1 Introduction

Connected: An Internet Encyclopedia
RFC 1812 - 2. INTERNET ARCHITECTURE